Chinese Crested Puppies: Adopt or Buy?

What is a Chinese Crested, hairless and Powder Puff?

One breed with two coats. The Dogs Australia standard describes “a small, active and graceful dog; medium to fine boned, smooth hairless body, with hair on feet, head and tail only; or covered with a soft veil of hair.” In Powder Puffs, it says, “coat consists of an undercoat with soft veil of long hair”. Dogs Victoria adds that besides the coat there is very little difference between the two, and that breeders often find both coat types born in the same litter.

From the Dogs Australia Chinese Crested Dog standard (last updated 1 June 2019), read 11 November 2026.

The hairless coat is genetic, not cosmetic. Researchers writing in Science in 2008 found that Chinese Crested, Mexican and Peruvian hairless dogs share a mutation in the FOXI3 gene, which causes missing hair and teeth and is inherited as a semidominant trait. Dogs NSW says the Powder Puff does not carry the hairless gene, so should have normal teeth.

Should you adopt or buy a Chinese Crested?

If you have your heart set on a Chinese Crested puppy, a Dogs Australia registered breeder who can show eye and DNA results is the reasonable route, because purebred Cresteds are rare across the rescues we aggregate. If you are open to a small companion dog rather than this exact breed, rescue is the faster path: small dogs and small crosses are listed regularly, they come vet checked, desexed and microchipped for a published fee, and an adult's temperament is already on show.

Reference figures only, not quotes. Breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them, so check with them.

What does a hairless dog's skin need?

More care than people expect. Dogs Victoria says that because the skin is exposed, the hairless Crested is prone to skin irritations, allergies and sunburn, and that it is an indoor dog that needs a warm bed and a coat or jacket in winter. Published research is limited but points the same way:

• Sun sensitivity. A small study in the American Journal of Veterinary Research (Kimura and Doi, 1994) exposed three hairless crosses descended from Mexican hairless dogs (not Chinese Cresteds) to sunlight for two hours a day for six days. By the second day the skin showed sunburn cells under the microscope, and the authors concluded that hairless dogs were extremely sensitive to UV exposure.
• Long-term damage. A 2024 case report in Veterinary Record Case Reports described three kinds of skin tumour, including a squamous cell carcinoma, ascribed to chronic sun exposure in one hairless Chinese Crested. A single case shows what can happen; it does not show how often it happens.

In practice that means shade and limited time in strong sun, clothing outdoors, and a talk with your vet about which skin and sun protection suits your dog. The Powder Puff has the opposite job: Dogs Victoria says its coat needs brushing every few days. Our Chinese Crested skin and coat care guide covers the routine for both coats.

Is a hairless Chinese Crested hypoallergenic?

No dog is. The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) says: “All dog breeds cause allergies, although some do not shed as much dander, and therefore less allergen is spread.” It also says the main source of dog allergen is saliva, and a hairless dog has saliva like any other. A dog with little hair may leave less hair around the house; it cannot remove the allergen. If anyone at home has asthma or a dog allergy, see a doctor before you choose a dog and spend long, repeated visits with the actual dog. Our guide to hypoallergenic dogs in Australia explains more.

Which health checks should a Chinese Crested breeder show you?

Eye and DNA results for both parents. Dogs NSW says genetic testing is available for PRA, PLL, von Willebrand's disease type II and others, which principled breeders routinely use. Dogs Victoria calls the breed generally healthy and recommends you ask breeders what health testing they do.

Conditions from the Dogs Victoria and Dogs NSW Chinese Crested profiles, read 11 November 2026. Dogs Victoria notes Legg-Calve-Perthes disease has no DNA test but sometimes shows up on x-ray. A buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

Ask for the certificates themselves, with dates and each dog's name or microchip number. Dogs Australia also suggests asking whether your own vet can check the puppy before you buy. Our Chinese Crested health issues guide covers the conditions in more depth.

What does a Chinese Crested puppy cost?

We cannot give you a breeder price we can stand behind. Our method is to read the prices that Dogs Australia member breeders publish on their own websites. In November 2026 we read the sites of Chinese Crested breeders that show membership of a state canine body, leaving out listing and classified sites, and none published a puppy price. Some had no website at all. No Australian Chinese Crested club publishes a guide price either. The prices that do appear online sit on listing sites, which we do not use as a benchmark because anyone can post there.

So ask each breeder directly, and ask what the price includes: registration on the Limited or Main Register, desexing, vaccinations, microchipping and the parents' test results. Hairless and Powder Puff puppies can come from the same litter, so be wary of a large price gap justified by coat alone.

What rescues publish, for comparison:

Reference only, not a quote. These are the fees each rescue published on the date shown; fees change and some dogs are priced individually, so check with the rescue. Adoption fees normally include desexing and microchipping, which you would pay a vet for after buying a puppy.

The purchase price is the smaller number over a dog's life. For a hairless dog, budget for clothing and skin care as well as food, insurance and vet care; run the numbers in the dog cost calculator and read our guide to cheaper vet care.

What do Chinese Cresteds in rescue look like?

Purebred Chinese Cresteds are rare across the rescues we aggregate. When one does come through it is usually an adult, and crosses are more common than purebreds. They can be listed under several names (Chinese Crested, Crested cross, hairless, Powder Puff), so search more than one. Our Sydney Chinese Crested adoption guide covers why they come into rescue.

If what you want is a small, affectionate indoor companion rather than this exact breed, the small dog pages are the practical place to look: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide. An adopted adult arrives with its temperament on show, and the rescue will usually have had it vet checked, desexed and microchipped. Our guide to adopting a dog in Australia walks through the process.

How do Chinese Crested scams work, and how do you check a breeder?

Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites, social media profiles and marketplace listings for popular breeds and pets that do not exist, and that if a pet is very cheap, it is likely a scam. It advises viewing the pet in person or on a video call. A Dogs Victoria fact sheet warns that ads may display microchip, source or membership numbers lifted from legitimate breeders. Chinese Crested versions of the pattern to watch for:

• “Hypoallergenic” or “allergy-free” promises. ASCIA says all dog breeds cause allergies.
• “Teacup” or “micro” Cresteds. The standard has no such size; it sets a height range and a 5.4 kg upper weight.
• A hairless puppy that is “rare” and priced to match. Hairless and Powder Puff puppies can come from the same litter; ask what the price includes, not what the coat is worth.
• Health talk without paperwork. Ask for the parents' eye and DNA certificates, with names that match the litter.

For a purebred, ask which state canine body the breeder belongs to and confirm the membership with that body. Then check the state number every breeder must have: a breeder identification number in NSW, a Pet Exchange Register source number in Victoria, a supply number in Queensland or a DACO breeder number in South Australia. Look it up on the official register yourself and confirm it matches the seller and the microchip. Our puppies for sale guide sets out every state's scheme and what to do if you have already paid.

Is a Chinese Crested the right dog for you?

It can suit a home where someone is around a lot, where the dog lives indoors, and where you are ready for daily skin care (hairless) or regular brushing (Powder Puff). Dogs Victoria says the breed is sensitive and must be trained with gentle patience, and that it needs a fully enclosed yard because a small dog can fit through tiny gaps. Not sure? Try the what dog breed is right for me quiz and the adoption readiness check.

Weighing other dogs too? Other adopt-or-buy guides cover the Havanese, Italian Greyhound, Chihuahua and Bordoodle.

Find a Chinese Crested near you

Each page shows Chinese Cresteds listed right now by rescues in that city, and each listing links to the rescue where you apply directly.

• Chinese Cresteds for adoption in Sydney
• Chinese Cresteds for adoption in Melbourne
• Chinese Cresteds for adoption in Brisbane
• Chinese Cresteds for adoption in Perth
• Chinese Cresteds for adoption in Adelaide